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Made in us
Shas'ui with Bonding Knife






I want to start this off by saying that I am very happy to have such a wonderful girlfriend and really enjoy spending time with her and her son.

That said...granted, I haven't played many games. I'm much more of a hobbyist. But, I do enjoy a game from time to time.

Here's the deal. My girlfriend and I are getting serious. She has a two year old son who is going through the terrible twos right now and has enough energy to supply electricity to a small town. That said, she does not mind that I work on modeling/hobby (build Gundam models as well as Warhammer), but when we do have time to ourselves, I want to make sure I'm not ignoring her and that I'm helping her with any chores that I can.

So, let's say that I'm building and painting a set of grunts (Space Marines Tac Squad, Clan Rats, Termagants, Hormagaunts, Guardsmen). On average to cut them out, clean them up, glue them together, and paint them... we're probably talking a minimum of an hour per model (cut out, clean off nub marks, glue together, and paint). Yes, that's about an hour per model on average even using an assembly line style of painting (including base, layers, shades, and highlights).

I enjoy Horde armies and recently my local GW store started a painting contest... buy an Age of Sigmar Start Collecting box, paint it, and have it up for display by 2/10. With work, girlfriend, and her son (the latter two I enjoy spending time with), there's no possible way I can even attempt to paint a Start Collecting box (in this case Skaven Pestilens).

So, I have to wonder... who is this hobby really for? Are any of the rest of you in the same position has I am? Have I reached a point where any new models I buy will remain GW Sprue Gray for the rest of their existence? Is it time for me to put my paint brushes aside for good? If you are in the same position as I am but have found a way to find time to properly paint your models, I would appreciate any tips.

tl;dr - It''s almost impossible to find time to assemble and paint models currently with work, girlfriend, and girlfriend's two year old son (latter two I enjoy spending time with). If any of you in same situation (or somewhat the same situation) as I am have found a way to continue to assemble, paint, and play, I'd love any tips/ideas.

Thanks in advance

SG

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2018/01/31 21:12:12


40K - T'au Empire
Kill Team - T'au Empire, Death Guard
Warhammer Underworlds - Garrek’s Reavers

*** I only play for fun. I do not play competitively. *** 
   
Made in us
Inspiring SDF-1 Bridge Officer





Mississippi

It’s the single 20-somethings that the painting contest is aimed at. They have the money and time to waste.

My experience is that married couples - those with children under 6 often have to put hobbying to the side until the children are old enough to etertain themselves before you/they start getting back time to focus on a “hobby”. It’s just not feasible to keep it up until that time - the ball gets dropped somewhere.

For a long time, I found myself working with my hobby after the children had gone to sleep - on those days I wasn’t just dead tired. Gaming, when I was able, was regulate to a singular day about once a month. Quite a dial back from my weekly to biweekly games, but it just wasn’t feasible to do it more often that about once a month without my family life suffering in some way.


It never ends well 
   
Made in us
Incorporating Wet-Blending





Wales: Where the Men are Men and the sheep are Scared.

People with disposable income is who its designed for. Most of us can be guilty of buying things we don't need or use, especially when it comes to war gaming.

I also find it hard to make time to paint, especially over the last year or so but am finding time here and there.

A few things I have tried recently. Your mileage my vary.

Let the girlfriend try.
My girlfriend tried painting some zombicide models with me and quite enjoyed it so we are now working through it together. If she has no interest however that's cool.

Spending time together doing your own thing.
Sometimes you might be spending the day/week at each others places (or your shared place) and both want to do separate things. Maybe one of you reads while one of you paints etc. I have found this a great way to spend time with someone while still doing your own thing, stopping occasionally to chat etc.

Don't buy more stuff for a while
.
I had way too much stuff, it was overwhelming and none of it was ever getting painted. I sold or gave away a little and have more to shift. This lets me focus on a few smaller projects.

Remember sometimes finished is better than perfect
I often half do something get frustrated its not right then never finish it. Sometimes its better just to do the bare minimum to finish it and move onto the next model.


Decide priorities.

Obviously girlfriend, her son and a tidy stress free house where everyone is fed and clothed is the priority but beyond that decide how you most wanna spend your time. Maybe paint instead of watching that movie, playing that computer game etc. Unless you prefer the other thing more.

Wait
Could just be that now is a really rough time for you in terms of carving out the space to hobby. Last few years with moving house multiple times martial arts,video gaming, seeing friends, dating, starting a new relationship the occasional holiday and work I just did not find or make time for hobby and thats without any childcare duties. It may just be that you cant carve out much time at the moment but will be able to in a few months, or a year or so.

Best of luck.



 
   
Made in gb
Malicious Mandrake




Realistically, forget the competition. It's time bound. The 2 year old and the girlfriend aren't.

Consider a project box, containing one squad, and the tools and paints you need. (It can be an ordinary cardboard box - mine says "Gorkamorka" on the front).

Accept that the plastic now has the back seat for a while. I tootled along doing not very much at all when mine was 2 (aka nothing). When he was 6, he wanted to play with my toy soldiers. 20 years later, we're still playing.... think of any gap not as gaming time lost, but of 2 year old (and gf) time won. You can pick up gaming again in a year or four. The 2 year old time is irreplaceable. Happy PLAYING!

Trying to answer the actual question, there's a split. Wargames companies tend to focus on those with money to buy product. Single helps, unless I'm paying for Timmy.. Clubs less so. I regularly play with 3 guys in their 50s. We have some time. We have money. Locally, the demographic appears to be single male employed 20something.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/01/31 22:49:17


 
   
Made in au
Anti-Armour Swiss Guard






Newcastle, OZ

I'm married, late 40s, no kids (can't have them).

As for the demographics, it depends on the company, the ruleset and the game, tbh. It's all over the place.
Australia just had it's national gaming convention (Cancon) in the national capital. Huge split and spread of gamers across all age ranges, from children up to grandparents. Both in boardgames and miniatures (card players tend to the mid-teens up to late 20s for the most part).

There is a trend that sees historicals in the older gamer crowd (but younger folks may also pick it up) and the younger crowd being attracted to the less historically accurate stuff.

I'm OVER 50 (and so far over everyone's BS, too).
Old enough to know better, young enough to not give a ****.

That is not dead which can eternal lie ...

... and yet, with strange aeons, even death may die.
 
   
Made in us
Ancient Venerable Dreadnought




San Jose, CA

I always thought the target was 12 year olds who are bored & have some spending $€£¥.

In all seriousness tho, family should always come first.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/02/01 03:01:03


 
   
Made in us
Fixture of Dakka





West Michigan, deep in Whitebread, USA

It's just a fact of life that young children are death to hobbies, especially ones that take lots of time. My painting and modelling has dropped off 90% since my second child was born a year ago, to say nothing of video games.



"By this point I'm convinced 100% that every single race in the 40k universe have somehow tapped into the ork ability to just have their tech work because they think it should."  
   
Made in gb
Towering Hierophant Bio-Titan





Bristol, England

Do you get a lunch hour?
Take a small travel kit of clippers, knife, glue or one or two colours, brush, 10x models.
You'll soon get a surprising amount done.

Oli: Can I be an orc?
Everyone: No.
Oli: But it fits through the doors, Look! 
   
Made in us
Inspiring SDF-1 Bridge Officer





Mississippi

 AegisGrimm wrote:
It's just a fact of life that young children are death to hobbies, especially ones that take lots of time. My painting and modelling has dropped off 90% since my second child was born a year ago, to say nothing of video games.


The good news is, over time you get that hobby time back - in drips and drabs, but by the time they're off to college you'll have most of your spare time back. Problem is, by then you've adapted to not having that time and it becomes very hard to get active again. Unless you've been smart enough to indoctrinate the kiddos as they grew up and your interests didn't shift to Historicals in the meantime*, and they still want to play with you instead of their friends...


* I don't know what it is, but as a kid the guys I played with wouldn't touch historicals when they were young - "too boring, why do you want to do realistic stuff?". As we all got older, most of my friends switched to historicals and now roll their eyes at the fantasy/sci-fi stuff (unless it's Star Wars or Star Trek). I'm one of the few that's happy to swing between the two.

It never ends well 
   
Made in us
Decrepit Dakkanaut






SoCal, USA!

 Stormonu wrote:
It’s the single 20-somethings that the painting contest is aimed at. They have the money and time to waste.


This, so much so. Have money, have time, minimal obligations.

   
Made in us
Fixture of Dakka





West Michigan, deep in Whitebread, USA

 Stormonu wrote:
 AegisGrimm wrote:
It's just a fact of life that young children are death to hobbies, especially ones that take lots of time. My painting and modelling has dropped off 90% since my second child was born a year ago, to say nothing of video games.


The good news is, over time you get that hobby time back - in drips and drabs, but by the time they're off to college you'll have most of your spare time back. Problem is, by then you've adapted to not having that time and it becomes very hard to get active again. Unless you've been smart enough to indoctrinate the kiddos as they grew up and your interests didn't shift to Historicals in the meantime*, and they still want to play with you instead of their friends...


* I don't know what it is, but as a kid the guys I played with wouldn't touch historicals when they were young - "too boring, why do you want to do realistic stuff?". As we all got older, most of my friends switched to historicals and now roll their eyes at the fantasy/sci-fi stuff (unless it's Star Wars or Star Trek). I'm one of the few that's happy to swing between the two.


Oh, believe me, I plan on having a boardgaming household that moves into a wargaming household, lol. I very luckily see glimmers of it already, I just have to keep up the indoctrinati- I mean, encouragement.

But definitely, the wargaming target is highschool to mid-20's, with no kids or marriage yet. It's the only (good) time to be able to paint huge armies, when you can spend hours of time with no other obligations.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/02/01 12:24:50




"By this point I'm convinced 100% that every single race in the 40k universe have somehow tapped into the ork ability to just have their tech work because they think it should."  
   
Made in us
Clousseau




For me its all about managing time.

I am 40 now. I started wargaming when I was 12. I raised two kids and was married at 19. Those two kids are now 22 and 20. One of them paints models and plays Middle Earth with us. I still painted models the entire time. I never had to choose between one or the other because of time management.
   
Made in fr
Longtime Dakkanaut




Young kids need full attention, but they also go to bed relatively early. Once they're in bed, you probably need to take care of stuff in the house, and want to spend time with your GF. But sometimes you should be able to get some hobby time. Especially if the GF is into some TV shows you don't particularly like (then she watches that when you pant), or any other hobby of her own. I don't know the details of your life, but many people would be able to squeeze like 1h of hobby time every other day or so (a portion of the post-kid evening every other day seems reasonable). If you can squeeze another hour in the weekend, you're looking at 3-4h of hobby/week.
At 1h/model, you're looking at ~15 infantry/month, or something like a squad + a character, or a vehicle and a couple dudes, etc. That doesn't allow you to paint a start collecting box to competition level in 2 weeks, but it's enough to see your army grow over the month.

Adults with a job and a family life are definitely part of the target demographic, in part because for them it takes dedication and commitment to get stuff done.
It's anecdotal evidence, but where I play, 30+ year old people are a lot more likely to have a fully painted army than the students who have so much more free time.
   
Made in ca
Deathwing Terminator with Assault Cannon






fresus wrote:

Adults with a job and a family life are definitely part of the target demographic, in part because for them it takes dedication and commitment to get stuff done.
It's anecdotal evidence, but where I play, 30+ year old people are a lot more likely to have a fully painted army than the students who have so much more free time.


My anecdotal data is similar. Adults may have more painted armies just because they've had more cumulative time to paint. I wouldn't start a horde army now, but I still have the Cadians and Orcs I painted 10+ years ago while in university. Much easier to just add the occasional new unit than start something like that from scratch.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/02/01 13:06:21


 
   
Made in de
Longtime Dakkanaut





When it comes to those kinds of activities, for me the best time is in the late-ish evening. At this point the wife and children are usually asleep and everything is nice and quiet.

No phone calls or urgent e-mails - just me and my tin soldiers.

Generally, I see wargaming definitely targetet at working adults, family or not. A relatively high disposable income is pretty much necessary and so is good time management - both of which childen and younger adults are usually lacking.
As for your personal predicament, I'd advise you to confront your girflriend with your hobby sooner than later. If you want to keep pursuing the hobby, she should know about it the fact that you'll want to spend a couple of hours painting on the evening or on weekends. In my experience, it's really not that big of an issue and at some point the two of you will probably be glad to have some time on your own now and then.

This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 2018/02/01 14:00:19


 
   
Made in pl
Wicked Warp Spider





I'm near 40, married with no kids, plenty of time on my hands as I work from home, but when it comes to painting and modeling I still have a huge backlog, because 40K has to share time with other activities.

And I mean really HUGE backlog - I've accumulated a lot of assembled grey plastic over the last two years (since I returned to this hobby), I still have some kits that wait for assembly and I've only recently (early december) started painting again. I'm happy to share this hobby with my wife, so we don't have this "hobby vs significant other" problem, but it is February already and we're both about a 2/3rds through painting our first 10-15 strong squads. At this rate, even if we stopped purchasing anything new, our painting queue is decades long...

But we are not worried a bit about this, because we're not in a hurry with anything. It is a hobby after all, there are no deadlines other than self-imposed. We recently had half a year unintended break from playing actual games because other activities took priority. All my experience with many different hobbies/activities over the years have taught me one thing: if you want/have to do couple of thing in parallel then learn to be patient. I've done a good share of large (300+hrs) singular projects in my life. Some of them took only 2 straight calendar months to finish, but some took couple of years of on-and-off work. This is entirely natural, day is only 24hrs long and if you have to squeeze a lot of different things at once they all just get slower to finish.

If I were to give you some advice it is this: don't stop, don't lower your quality expectations and be patient - over the years you'll get things done and be content with them. If you rush things now, you'll end up wasting time on unsatisfactory quality (done is not always better than perfect). Organize your hobby space so that you can always do some painting in-between other activities, be it "hobby box" or a permanent desk setup. Remember, that even just an hour a day everyday is one large project a year. I have learned to play an instrument during my thirties, without any prior musical knowledge, exactly because 15 minutes a day everyday approach.
   
Made in us
Blackclad Wayfarer





Philadelphia

[REMOVED]

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/02/01 16:44:22


   
Made in us
Shas'ui with Bonding Knife






Thank you all for your input. So, here's the deal...

First off, I put the girlfriend and her son at the top of my priority list always. That's never even a question. They go above any of my hobbies. I didn't and don't mind making that transition at all.

Secondly, I've tried to get her involved into tabletop War Gaming. Unfortunately, she does not want to try it. She says it'd drive her crazy painting such small figures. I've tried several times even mentioning dry brushing as an option. Just a no go. And that's fine. Not everyone has to like wargaming.

Thirdly, we do spend time together doing our own thing. She enjoys putting puzzles together. So, she works on puzzles, and I work on putting together Gundam Models as they require no glue or painting.

Right now, seeing that she's a single mom sharing custody of her two year old, it's very difficult for her to take care of all the chores every day. I asked several times if I could help with the chores, and she would always say now. So, now, when I'm over at her place visiting, I just kinda force my way into helping with the chores. But, until we get married, we're not going to have a good routine for keeping the house clean. So, we're often working on that as well.

As far as her son goes, I try my absolutely best to get down on his level and be engaging. Sometimes, I just don't have it in me, so if he's happy doing something safe on his own, I might sit down on the couch for a few minutes. But, he is among my top priorities (long before Gundam or Warhammer).

I've searched for some speed painting tutorials on YouTube. I have seen some that look like they might work (like painting 40 clan rats in two hours), but the paint jobs aren't great at all. Paint from robes on rats' tails, etc. Will it work for tabletop? Sure. But, it's tough for me to take pride in that considering I've won a couple of painting contests at my local GW store.

Unfortunately, bringing a project box to work and working during lunch is out of the question. I am pretty sure that's against the rules here. And, I can't guarantee I won't accidentally spill or flick paint onto the conference room tables... and even acrylics eventually stain.

If anyone has any speed painting tips, I'd love to hear them.

Thanks

SG

40K - T'au Empire
Kill Team - T'au Empire, Death Guard
Warhammer Underworlds - Garrek’s Reavers

*** I only play for fun. I do not play competitively. *** 
   
Made in gb
Dispassionate Imperial Judge






HATE Club, East London

It's very much dependent on how your work life and how that works in your country, too.

I don't tend to work 9-5 - I have busy weeks where I'm working 10am to 10pm Mon-Sat and I never get anything done. Then I might have weeks where I'm only in the studio a few days a week, and I can spend a couple of daytimes per week geeking.

Other times, I'll deliberately book an event at the end of a 'quiet' week so I know I'll spend that week doing geeking. I recently came out of a LTR, but even when in one, that was never really an issue - the idea that I had a 'project' on every couple of months and had a deadline to meet was no different, really, to our working lives!

I have other friends who work shifts where they're mostly care taking a workplace or waiting for emergencies to happen and take painting kits to work.

Also, in the UK, I have a fair few friends who found that, once they were spending most of their time looking after a small baby (either in the evenings or during their 6 month split parental leave) they suddenly found they had a fair bit fo time on their hands. Of course, that all goes out fo the window when they're old enough to do stuff!

   
Made in gb
Stitch Counter






Rowlands Gill

Personally, I found that having children was what brought me back to the wargaming hobby. As a youngster, I had played D&D and dabbled in Warhammer (2nd edition, yes I am *that* old!). But then, going to college I found and took up other hobbies that at the time I found more interesting.

After getting a job, getting married and then eventually having kids I found it more difficult to find the time for the hobbies I used to enjoy, and also, getting a bit older and less fit needed something a bit more sedate to enjoy. Collecting and painting models fit the bill. I could do it even with babies and toddlers in the house (at one point we had 3 kids all under 4!). Provided I found a spot where I could leave my stuff out, out of reach of little fingers, I had a great hobby that meant I was there when my wife needed me to drop everything and take my turn with the wee-uns, and wouldn't spoil when I couldn't get back to it for a few days when something more important was going on with the family, such as a holiday or (joy of joys, a trip to the in-laws!).

Over the years as my collection grew I was able to get into gaming with the stuff I had painted, but again on a level that suited - once a month, or fortnight and eventually weekly. And that's now. Except I also have the joy of one of my three (now teenage) kids enjoying the gaming hobby too, so I get to combine family and hobby time together sometimes!

And that suits just fine. You will never have the amount of free time you had as a 20-something singleton again, at least until you retire (and even then ... grandkids!) But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy gaming and collecting and painting toy soldiers. You may have to change the way you do it - skirmish games or at least a non-horde faction may be more within your reach these days. Or you may just find that your timeframe stretches longer - a few months or a year to do what used to take a couple of weeks. I totally get that it is harder to step down a hobby than step up a new one - I tried it with my old hobbies and eventually after a few years I found the lower level was just not satisfying and in fact was just painful as it kept taunting me about what I felt I was missing out on.

It's all about what you enjoy in the hobby - if banging out a horde army to contest-winning standard in a fortnight and gaming intensely with it every night on the trot for a week is all that you enjoy of it, then sure, drop it and find something else to do in your spare time.

But my advice is to be a blade of grass, rather than an oak tree. Bend with the wind rather than trying to resist, and you will find wargaming to be a great hobby you can enjoy with kids, rather than despite them! Don't throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. You'll find you need that "me time" that hobbying can provide in order to survive the rigours of parenting, and if it also gives you the opportunity for a night out with your mates from time to time, you will need that too! And if after all that, you find you really have to go a few weeks, months oer even years without touching a paintbrush, never say "never". Keep your stuff ready for when things change! even if that's retirement! :-D

This message was edited 7 times. Last update was at 2018/02/06 10:44:49


Cheers
Paul 
   
Made in us
War Walker Pilot with Withering Fire




It's a hard thing to balance. My boyfriend and I both play 40k, work the standard 9-5's, and have no kids, and it's hard enough to fit in painting time with no children being there.

I feel like the truth is that, if you don't set aside time to do it, it won't get done. I bet you and your girlfriend could work something out where you can dedicate a 30-minute block every night (maybe after the kiddo goes to bed) - or 45 minutes every other day, whatever it may be - to just you being able to sit and focus on it. Also, it's okay for the two of you to have different hobbies.
   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut





Nottingham

I'm mid thirties, married, work on average 60hrs a week, and have our first on the way. I get home, do some exercise (I pick my wife up from work, so we catch up on the M1), do my domestic duties, have dinner, clear up and then go and paint for half an hour. Half an hour every day will get projects done. Having a dedicated space helps massively, as you don't have to eat into your time setting up and packing away.

That'll all change when the avacado (apparently the baby is that size at present) arrives.

Have a look at my P&M blog - currently working on Sons of Horus

Have a look at my 3d Printed Mierce Miniatures

Previous projects
30k Iron Warriors (11k+)
Full first company Crimson Fists
Zone Mortalis (unfinished)
Classic high elf bloodbowl team 
   
Made in jp
[DCM]
Incorporating Wet-Blending





Japan

fresus wrote:
Young kids need full attention, but they also go to bed relatively early.


What paradise do you live in? And is the housing affordable there? Getting my son in bed before 9PM is like pulling teeth, and it's been like that since he was three (he's eight now). That's why i do all my painting between 4 and 5 AM.

Now showing more Samurai Marines, Bad Squiddo Amazons, and an Oldhammer Chaos Thug!

Painting total as of 3/28/2024: 21 plus a set of modular spaceship terrain

Painting total for 2023: 79 plus 28 Battlemechs and a Dragon-Balrog

 
   
Made in fr
Longtime Dakkanaut




 JoshInJapan wrote:
fresus wrote:
Young kids need full attention, but they also go to bed relatively early.


What paradise do you live in? And is the housing affordable there? Getting my son in bed before 9PM is like pulling teeth, and it's been like that since he was three (he's eight now). That's why i do all my painting between 4 and 5 AM.

In a place where 9pm is relatively early But I'm not up at 4am…
And sadly, housing is very far from affordable (unless you're in Tokyo, in which case it's not bad compared to there).
   
Made in ie
Calculating Commissar




Frostgrave

 JamesY wrote:
That'll all change when the avacado (apparently the baby is that size at present) arrives.


Congratulations!

You'll find they result in a lot more domestic duties, but at least sleep a lot for the first 6 months (whilst also not being mobile) so you can get loads of hobby time in. Mine was fed every 3-4 hours but that meant a 2-3 hour gap where they slept and you couldn't do much except paint. Now he's 2 and into everything, my hobby stuff is rotting at the back of the garage.
   
Made in gb
Regular Dakkanaut






Its hard. My son is about 2 1/2 now and I get far less done than I used to. Still, you can find time to paint. My biggest tip is having a dedicated (and TIDY) work space. That way, if you have a spare twenty minutes, you can go and get some painting done (as opposed to spending twenty minutes trying to find which paint you were planning to use on that model that is now buried somewhere under those other models . . .). Clear away everything apart from the model/unit you are currently working on and the tools you need for that model.

Try and do little and often rather than long sessions; I'm sure even with the other commitments you could spare 20 minutes a day, especially if you don't watch TV/play computer games. That's the other way of looking t it; do you have any other hobbies that are taking up time? Could you drop those and use the time for painting?

But you output will be lower while the kid is small. On some level you have to just accept that and make do with what you can do.

EDIT: I have a blog on Warseer pretty much dedicated to this, though updates have been sparse this year: http://www.warseer.com/forums/showthread.php?413603-The-Lost-and-the-Discounted

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/02/05 13:05:53


 
   
Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

Once they are 8+ they start to make good gaming foes!

Support Blood and Spectacles Publishing:
https://www.patreon.com/Bloodandspectaclespublishing 
   
Made in ca
Regular Dakkanaut





JamesY wrote:That'll all change when the avacado (apparently the baby is that size at present) arrives.


Let the requirements of parenting provide the time to paint. Your kids likely go to bed earlier than you. You need to be in the home with them while they sleep (someone does anyway and it's likely you) so finish up chores/cleaning. Then make your choice:

1) Turn on the TV and veg out. Later complain about how you have no time and then when someone points to your TV watching say that you need it to unwind even though it doesn't actually provide a restful state of mind and doesn't contribute to your mental wellbeing.

2) Pull out the painting station and get painting. Let it be a relaxing time.

At the local club those of us who choose option 2 have painted armies and terrain and those who chose option 1 whine about their busy schedules while throwing away 90+ minutes a day.
   
Made in us
Sybarite Swinging an Agonizer





Leavenworth, KS

 Chamberlain wrote:
JamesY wrote:That'll all change when the avacado (apparently the baby is that size at present) arrives.


Let the requirements of parenting provide the time to paint. Your kids likely go to bed earlier than you. You need to be in the home with them while they sleep (someone does anyway and it's likely you) so finish up chores/cleaning. Then make your choice:

1) Turn on the TV and veg out. Later complain about how you have no time and then when someone points to your TV watching say that you need it to unwind even though it doesn't actually provide a restful state of mind and doesn't contribute to your mental wellbeing.

2) Pull out the painting station and get painting. Let it be a relaxing time.

At the local club those of us who choose option 2 have painted armies and terrain and those who chose option 1 whine about their busy schedules while throwing away 90+ minutes a day.


This is VERY true! I used to be in the #1 category, but then I set myself a goal of 30 minutes of hobby time a day, usually after working out and eating dinner. It's great to see progress being made, one step at a time.

"Death is my meat, terror my wine." - Unknown Dark Eldar Archon 
   
Made in ca
Regular Dakkanaut





A friend of mine started with 15 minutes a day. It really adds up. That's over 91 hours a year. It's like if he took a 2 week vacation with painting as his job for the whole thing.

A wet palette can really help with it as you can very quickly pick up where you left off if your paint is still usable the next day.
   
 
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